On this Occasion of the UN General Assembly, Mulino and his Cabinet are Working from New York.

Seven ministers are accompanying President José Raúl Mulino in New York, on the occasion of the 81st United Nations General Assembly (UN) and its parallel activities.  One of the first to travel to the city that inspired El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico to sing “Un verano en Nueva York” (A Summer in New York) was President Mulino, with his wife. He arrived last Saturday on the presidential plane pictured below, which landed in White Plains at 3:04 pm. and received by Foreign Minister Javier Martínez Acha and Panama’s ambassador to the United Nations Eloy Alfaro. 

There is no record of the president attending to any official business on Sunday.  The country heard from him starting on Monday, when he began a series of meetings with other leaders, encounters with businesspeople, and activities to promote the country.  The government has not released the full list of the delegation accompanying the president, except for the names of the ministers, administrators, and directors in the entourage. It is known that some ministers are traveling with their wives. The list of support staff and other companions who traveled to New York is still pending.

In countries like Argentina, even the hotel where the country’s president, Javier Milei, is staying is well-known. According to an article in Perfil, Milei and his ministers will be resting at the exclusive Langham, where a night costs almost $1,500.  In Panama, the only available information consists of scattered press releases from the Ministry of the Presidency mentioning some of those who have accompanied Mulino at various events. News media painstakingly reconstructed a list of the high-ranking officials in New York and the events they have attended.  The highlights will be broadcast here over the next few days. 

The Ministers who Have Been Seen.

1

Javier Martínez-Acha, Minister of Foreign Affairs.

2

Felipe Chapman, Minister of Economy and Finance.

3

José Ramón Icaza, Minister for Canal Affairs.

4

Fernando Boyd Galindo, Minister of Health.

Some of the meetings also included Ilya Espino de Marotta , administrator of the Panama Canal Authority (ACP); Kristell Getzler, director of the Economic Secretariat of the Presidency; Andrés Farrigua, manager of the Savings Bank (Caja de Ahorros); and Rafael Bárcenas , director of the Civil Aeronautics Authority (AAC).  Adolfo Fábrega, administrator of the National Authority for Government Innovation (AIG), participated on Monday in the meeting between the president and executives of companies affiliated with the Council of the Americas, some from the technology sector such as Google, Apple Inc., Intel Corporation and Ericsson Inc.   However, he is already back in Panama.  Ambassador Alfaro has also been present at most of the events. Maricel Cohen and Mireya París de Martínez-Acha, the foreign minister’s wife, have appeared at others.

Mulino’s agenda in New York takes place within the framework of the United Nations General Assembly High-Level Week.

On Tuesday, Mulino and his wife participated in the opening of the 81st session. Afterwards, the president attended two bilateral meetings, each lasting 20 minutes: the first with the Prime Minister of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, and the second with Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission.  Mulino then traveled to Columbia University for a luncheon and forum to which he was invited as a speaker.  That evening, the Mulinos attended the dinner hosted by US President Donald Trump at the Lotte New York Palace Hotel for all the presidents, heads of state and government visiting the city for the UN General Assembly.  Mulino will return to the country next Friday, according to information obtained by news media.

Ministers with parallel activities

1

Beatriz Carles de Arango, Minister of Social Development.

2

Dinoska Montalvo, Minister of Government.

3

Juan Carlos Navarro, Minister of the Environment.

Mulino’s speech at the General Assembly is scheduled for Wednesday afternoon. On Thursday, the Minister of Culture, Maruja Herrera, could join them; she is listed as one of the authorities who will attend the inauguration of Little Panama Way in Brooklyn.  After that event concludes, the president will travel to the United Nations headquarters for a meeting of Latin American leaders with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pictured below.

The Companions.

No minister travels alone. Each one brings their own team. Beatriz Carles de Arango, who heads the Ministry of Social Development, is accompanied by Luz Ángela Núñez, from International Affairs, and her assistant, Gabriela Díaz. The Minister of Government, Dinoska Montalvo, is with advisor Adriana Alemán, the Deputy Director of Planning Miguel Bosquez, assistant Elvia Cedeño and the institutional executive director José Pino.

71

Heads of State confirmed their participation in the 81st UN General Assembly.

45

Heads of government are also on the list.

193

Countries are members of the UN.

The Freedom Plan Arrives in Manhattan.

On Monday, September 21, the Mulino couple, along with Montalvo, inaugurated an alliance between the Ministry of Government and Arcade State Coffee, a coffee shop in Manhattan owned by a Panamanian.  The idea, according to a statement from the Presidency, is to train women from the Freedom Plan, the social reintegration program of the prison system that has the support of the United Nations.

Café Presidente, a resocialization initiative promoted by the Office of the First Lady, Maricel Cohen de Mulino, and President José Raúl Mulino, made its way into the exclusive West Village sector of Manhattan, New York.

Environment Minister Juan Carlos Navarro, for his part, is participating in Climate Week and other parallel activities of the General Assembly.